Signal Townhouses
by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Client U+I
Awards RIBA London Award 2019 and RIBA National Award 2019
These 16 three-storey family homes make a significant contribution to a former industrial area, transforming it into a new high-quality urban quarter. The new homes successfully deal with the transition in scale from the adjacent 2-storey Victorian terraces to the multi-storey apartment blocks to the north, which vary from 7 to 16 storeys. The development has enabled a 100-year-old industry player, Alcatel Submarine Networks, to stay in the area: Alcatel sold a redundant part of its site for Signal Townhouses, with proceeds invested in redeveloping Alcatel’s manufacturing facilities.
The new terrace is a contemporary take on the Victorian terraces adjacent, taking a cue from the rhythm and articulation of the stepping in and out of these original terraces. The project successfully reimagines this form with homes that are focused around private amenity space at the ground and upper floor. This has the added benefit of creating dual-aspect rooms.
The use of daylight and sunlight within the homes is to be commended. The clever arrangement of the homes around courtyards maximises their aspects, and the introduction of a rooflight above the stairs in eight of the homes brings natural light into the heart of the building.
High-quality, durable materials successfully complement existing and new developments nearby, and provide a hard-wearing, durable finish. The buildings have been constructed using traditional construction methods, all executed to a very high quality to produce robust, sturdy homes.
This new typology has created generous light-filled family homes, with a unique sense of space achieved by arranging them around the courtyards. It sets the benchmark very high for future developments in the area and clearly demonstrates the demand for contemporary homes.
Internal Area 2,202 m²
Contractor Weston Homes
Planning Consultant Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners
Landscape Architect East + Plan-it
Services & Sustainability XCO2 Energy
Structural Engineer Meinhardt (UK)
Environmental Consultant Merebrook Consulting
Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant Quantem Consulting
Rights of Light GL Hearn
